Heating system for postal cars.



E. H; GGLD. HEATING SYSTEM FOR POSTAL CARS. APPLICATION FILED APR.'15,1'912.

Patented Mair.16,1915.

s SHEETS-SHEET 1-.

E. H. GOLD. HEATING SYSTEM FOR POSTAL CARS. APPLICATION FILED APR 15,1912.

I 1,131,926. Patented Mar. 16,1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E. H. GOLD. HEATING SYSTEM FOR POSTAL CARS.

. APPLICATION FILED APR.15,1912. 1,131,926. Patented Mar.16,1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

THE NORRIS PETERS CQ, PHOTD-LITHQI WASHINGTON. D, C.

EGBEBT H. GOLD,

OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS.

HEATING SYSTEM FOR POSTAL CARS.

Application filed April 15, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EGBERT H. GOLD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Heating Systems for Postal Cars, of which the following 1S a specification.

My invention relates to car heating systems and the principal object of the invention is to provide a suitable heating system for railway postal cars. These cars are usually fitted up with racks for mail bags which are arranged along the side walls of the car. With the heating pipes located in the usual place adjacent the side walls, the mail bags prevent a proper circulation of the air around the pipes, so that the car cannot be properly heated. Furthermore, the mail bags and their contents are likely to be injured by coming in contact with the hot pipes.

My invention provides an arrangement whereby the mail bags are protected from the heat of the pipes and a free circulation of air around the pipes is provided for, so that a proper and uniform heating of the car is insured.

The invention is shown in the preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional plan of a railway postal car provided with the heating system of my invention. Fig. 2 1s a vertical section of one side of the car; Fig. 8, a cross sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a section on l ne 44 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a fragmentary side view of a modified construction; Fig. 6, a sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 a vertical sectional View illustrating another modification; Fig. 8, a fragmentary front elevation of this construct on, shown on a larger scale, and Fig. 9, a view similar to Fig. 7 showing another modification.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates the floor of the car and 11, 11 the side walls. The car is shown as fitted with the mail bag racks 12, 12, these racks being ordinarily known as Harrison mail racks. The racks support a number of mail bags Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 16, f915.

Serial No. 690,751.

13, in which the letters, packages, etc. are placed in sorting.

14 designates the heating pipes which are shown as arranged in the usual place close to the side walls of the car. It will be seen that the position of the mail bags and their arrangement when close to each other prevent any free circulation of air around the heating pipes. To the extent that the circulation is prevented the heating system of a car becomes ineffective. The mail bags in the inner rows come near enough the heating pipes so that they are likely to be burned or their contents injured.

In order to prevent this and to provide for a proper circulation of air along the pipes, I inclose the pipes at each side of the car in a box or trunk 15 formed at the top with openings preferably covered with wire screens or netting 16. A number of intake ducts 17 are provided leading from the center of the car between the mail bags 13 to the circulation space formed by the box 15. The ducts are open at their ends, the openings being preferably covered with screens 17 and are preferably also formed with openings 18 in the tops. The cross pieces 19 of the mail bag racks necessarily space the adjacent mail bags apart at the places where the cross pieces are located and the intake ducts are preferably placed beneath the cross pieces 19, so that they extend through the space between the adjacent sets of bags. The intakes consist of bowed sheets of metal with their engaging clips 17 attached to the floor. By this arrangement the intakes may be removed if desired. The clips 17 which remain attached to the floor are small enough so that they do not make any obstruction. Preferably the sheet of metal 15 forming the box or trunk for the steam pipes is spaced above the floor to allow cleaning the floor. The box or trunk 15 issupported on angle irons 15 attached to the floor. Preferably the hot air discharge openings in the upper part of the box are in staggered relation with the intake ducts, so that the relatively cool air taken from the center of the car near the floor is compelled to pass along the heating pipes for some distance before it finds an outlet. However, the openings 16 may be made much larger than shown and may even be continuous.

In Figs. 5 and 6 a modified construction is shown which can be used when the heating pipes are located in a recess in the car wall. 20 designates the car wall, which is formed with a recess 21 for the heating pipes 22. Box 23 is formed at intervals, or continuously if desired, with flaring lips 24 providing air outlets 25 which are preferably covered with screens 25.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown a modification suitable particularly for cars the walls of which are made of sheet steel. 26, 27 designate the inner and outer sheet metal structures forming the metal wall of the car. The sheathing 28 which incloses the steam coil 29 is extended up to approximately the top of the mail bags and provided at the top with an air outlet or outlets preferably covered with netting 30. By this means a hot air duct is provided along the wall of the car above the steam pipes, the effect of which isto counteract the excessive radiation which takes place in cars of steel construction. In other respects the arrangements are the same as heretofore described. In Fig. 7 the steam pipes 29 are arranged in a recess in the inner wall 27. In Fig. 9 the arrangement is the same except that the inner wall structure 27 is straight from top to bottom and the sheathing 28 shaped to correspond.

I claim:

1. In a heating system for railway cars fitted with mail bags extending along the inner side wall thereof, the combination with a heating coil adjacent said side wall of inclosing means for the coil provided in its upperpart with one or more air outlets, and intake ducts arranged to conduct air from the center part of the car to the space within said inclosing means, said air outlets and intake ducts being arranged in staggered relation to each other for the purpose described.

2. In a heating system for railway cars fitted with mail bags extending along the side wall, the combination with a heating coiladjacent said side wall, of a sheathing between the mail bags and the coil which holds the bags from contact with the coil and-provides a circulation space open at the top, and intake pipes which introduce air from the center part of the car into contact with the coil, said intake pipes being formed with openings in their ends and tops.

3. In a heating system for railway cars adapted to be fitted with mail bags extending along the sidewall and down to the floor, the combination with a heating coil adjacentsaid side wall, of inclosing means for the coil, said means being provided on its upper part with one or more air outlets, air intake ducts which extend toward the center of-thecar and adjacent to the space to be occupied by mail bags, said ducts removably engaging said inclosing means, and clips attached to the floor of the car and with which said ducts are slidably engaged so as to prevent displacement of said ducts lengthwise of the car.

a. In a heating system for railway cars fitted with mail bags extending along the side wall and down to the floor, the combination with a heating coil adjacent said side wall, of a sheathing between the mail bags and said heating coil, which sheathing is spaced away from the floor, air intake ducts arranged to extend transversely of the car and closely adjacent to the mail bags, said ducts arranged to conduct air from the center part ofthe car into the space back of said sheathing and consisting of bowed sheets-of metal provided with longitudinal flanges, and clips secured to the floor of the car with which the flanges of said ducts are sli'dably engaged so as to prevent displacement of said ducts lengthwise of the car while permitting their removal in a direction transverse of the car.

5. In a heating system for railway cars fitted with mail bags extending along the side wall of the car and downwardly to the floor thereof, the combination of a heating coil-extending along the side wall, a sheathing arranged between the coil and the mail bags to provide space for the circulation of air around the coil and upwardly into the car, detachable air inlet ducts arranged to conduct air from a point adjacent to the center of the car to the space behind saidsheathing, and means whereby said ducts are removably secured to the floor adjacent to the mail bags so as to prevent displacement of the ducts by the movement of the mail bags lengthwise of the car.

EGBERT H. GOLD. WVitnesses P. H. TRUMAN, L. A. FALKENBERG.

'Oopleeot thls patent may lie-obtained torfive cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, 1).0. 

